Insulated runner for trolley devices



N. A. WAHLBERG 7 2,125,092

- INSULATED RUNNER FOR TROLLEY DEVICES July 26, 1938.

Filed July 31, 1957 /Z /5 b J /4 /3 E L /4 L0 fig. 2 /7 20 l I L? r" TTNEY WITNESSES:

members or the like, in overhead trolley systems. tions, are expensive and prone to char under the :1 9 wire, or to facilitate providing a smooth junction insulator, spacer member, or the like, from being 10 '15 head system, which, in many instances, may be in applications, separate shield members have been therefore, usually constructed so as to. have a member and its securing means. Fibre shields main body portion which will withstand the pull have been thus utilized to a large extent but it of the trolley wire, and airenewable runner memhas been found that the effects of exposure to ber to provide a wearing portion to aid in the heat and moisture are so harmful in warping a guiding of the current collector thereover. By fibre shield, particularly when it is a separate 5 these provisions the strength of the body memmember, that it soon becomes damaged beyond Inasmuch as the runner portion is not only vention to provide an insulating runner member 30 portion of the trolley wire to the insulated runand an arc shield. member integrally molded of a 35 Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INSULATED RUNNER FOR TROLLEY DEVICES Nils A. Wahlberg, vWilkinsburg, Pa.,- assignor to Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of, Pennsylvania Application July 31, 1937, Serial No. 156,783

12 Claims. (01. 191-39) My invention refers generally to devices for members soon begin to absorb moisture, warp,

use in overhead trolley systems, and it has referand become so distorted that they cannot be used. ence in particular to an insulating runner member Runner members of rubber compositions, while for use with section insulators, insulating spacer .readily withstanding wear and Weather condi- In overhead trolley systems it has often been extreme arcing conditions to which they are subfound necessary to provide insulating members jected, soon losing their desirable insulating in the overhead system, either for the purpose of qualities.

, sectionalizing adjacent portions of the trolley To prevent the body member of a sectionof trolley wires of opposite polarity, such as at damaged by arcs drawn by passing current 001- crossings, turnouts, and the like. lectors,'it has heretofore been customary to util- Such insulating members will generally be subize arc shield members which deflect the are from jected to the full mechanical strain of the overthe body of the insulating device. In many such excess of 3,000 pounds. It may, therefore, be seen provided, requiring individual attaching means that such members must not only have good tov secure them in position, or else they have been insulating qualities and be of durable construcsandwiched between the runner member and tion, but have high tensile strength, and they are, body member and held in position by the runner ber may be made independent on the runner poruse, and may in some instances buckle so badly tion and unaffected by wear incurred by passage that it distorts the runner member, requiring its of current collectors thereover, thus reducing the removal also.

possibility of failures of the body member. It is, therefore, generally an object of my insubjected to direct wear through the passage of for trolley fixtures, having an integral laminated the current collector, but is additionally subrunner portionandarc shield member.

jected to the destructive efiects of arcs drawn A more specific object of my invention is to proby the current collector in passing from the live videa lightweight rigid insulating runner member ner member, it has always been diificult to proheat resistant fibrous material impregnated with Vide a runner. member which will stand up under a synthetic resin. such severe service. As the runner member must Another object of my invention is to provide also be exposed to extreme weather conditions, a renewable insulating runner member for 40 the selection of materials for such a runner memtrolley fixtures having a central reinforcing core 40 ber and its design. are further complicated. molded within an integral laminated runner It has heretofore been customary to use inmember and are shield member. sulating runner members of treated wood, fibre, Still another object of my invention is to proor rubber compositions. While runner members vide an integral runner member and are shield of wood have proven reasonably cheap, and when member molded of a non-charring fibrous mate- 45 properly impregnated will stand up reasonably rial, wherein the runner member and are shield well under adverse weather conditions, they are member mutuallyv reinforce each other to provide easily burnt or charred by arcs drawn by the a rigid unitary construction. current collector, and cannot withstand the con- A further object of my invention is to provide tinual wear of passing current collectors. Fibre a combination molded insulating runner member 50 runner members, while withstanding reasonable and are shield member for overhead trolley fixwear and arcing, have proven extremely untureswhich shall be of simple construction and satisfactory when exposed for any time to moiseconomical-to manufacture, easy to install, and ture. In installations where a relatively high unafiected by heat, moisture and wear.

humidity is common, it has been found that fibre My invention, accordingly, is disclosed in the 55 embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, and comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, an insulating runner member for use with overhead trolley devices may be provided loy combining an insulating wear surface with a central reinforcing core member. The wear surface may comprise a plurality of laminations of a fibrous, heat-resisting material, such, for example, as a material containing asbestos, impregnated with a synthetic resin and disposed about the core member. When placed in a suitable mold, these members may be molded by applying heat and pressure to form a wear surface and are shield flanges to the desired shape, whereby the wear surface, arc shield flanges and core member will become integrally combined through diffusion of the synthetic resin throughout the fibrous material and its penetration into the core member.

For a more complete understanding of the nature and scope of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a side elevation View of a preferred form of insulating runner embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the runner member of Fig. 1, taken along the line II-II;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation view of an alternate form of runner member; and,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the runner member of Fig. 3, taken along the line IVIV.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, the reference numeral l denotes, generally, a renewable insulating runner member for use with an overhead trolley device, such as a section insulator, or insulating spacing member (not shown) but well known in the art. To provide a durable insulating wear surface for the runner member Ill, a plurality of laminations of heat-resisting fibrous material ll may be shapedabout a central core member l2, which is adapted to provide a forming and reinforcing member for a runner portion I3 and have extending end portions I4 by which the runner member may be secured in operating position with the device with which it is adapted to be used. In general, the laminations H may function not only to provide a wear surface for the runner portion I3, but may additionally form laterally extending arc shield flanges I5 along either side of the runner member l3 to prevent damage to the body member of the device with which the runner member may be used, by deflecting away from the body member arcs drawn by passing current collectors.

By utilizing laminations of heat-resisting fibrous material II to form the wearing surface l3 and are shield flanges I5, a rigid unitary construction may be secured, wherein the runner member l3 and are shield flanges l5 mutually reinforce each other. There may further be provided a backing strip ll, likewise comprising impregnated laminations of a fibrous material, adapted to be associated with the arc shieldv flanges 15. By subjecting the combination of core member l2, wearing surface 13, arc shield flanges l5 and backing strip H to suitably applied heat and pressure in a mold, penetration into the core member [2 of the synthetic resin with which the laminations of fibrous material are impregnated, may, as shown by the stippled portion IS in Figs. 2 and 4, be utilized to unite the members and provide an integral'member which is heat, moisture and wear resistant to a high degree.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, which show an al ternate form of insulating runner member, it may be seen that the laminations H, instead of being adapted to form integral laterally extending arc flanges, as in Figs. 1 and 2, may be extended upwardly to provide side flanges 20, which are disposed to extend upwardly about the body member of the section insulator or spacing member with which the runner member is used. Additional laminations of a fibrous material may be used to provide a backing strip 2|, associated} with the side flanges and core l2, thus not only reinforcing the flanges 2B, but further assisting in providing arc shield protection for the body member, and maintaining engagement and alinement of the runner member It] with the body member of the trolley device with which it is used.

It may, therefore, be seen that by my invention I have provided a runner member not only of great strength but also of high heat resistant qualities. By utilizing a core member which may have great strength yet lack the desirable heat resistant or weather resistant qualities, and combining it with a wearing surface having heat, wear and weather resistant qualities, the desired combination of qualities for an ideal insulating runner member may be secured. A suitable runner member is thereby provided which is not only inexpensive and easy to manufacture, but is light in weight, has high dielectric strength, and is highly resistant to both mechanical wear and arcing.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction, and different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be considered as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. An insulating runner member for a trolley device comprising, in combination, a runner portion, a core member within the runner portion, and flanged arc-shield members molded integrally with the runner portion.

2. In a trolley fixture, in combination, an insulating runner member, a central core member molded therein, and flanged arc-shield members molded integral with the runner member. 7 3. In an insulating runner member for a trolley fixture, in combination, a flanged arc-shield member, a central longitudinal rib portion integrally molded on one side of the flanged member to provide a runner portion and reinforce the arc shield member, and a forming member molded Within the runner portion.

4. A runner member for a trolley fixtu're comprising a longitudinal rib portion of fibrous material impregnated with a resinous binder and disposed to provide a wearing surface for a current collector, flanged arc-shield members molded integral with said rib portion, and a reinforcing core member disposed within said rib portion, said binder penetrating the reinforcing core to provide a unitary member.

5. A runner member for a trolley fixture, comprising, a core member, a plurality of laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a resinous binder disposed to be molded about the core to provide a longitudinal runner portion having flanged arc-shield members integral therewith,- the binder penetrating the core member to unite the runner portion and core member.

6. An insulating runner member for an overhead trolley device, comprising the combination of, a lightweight forming member, and a plurality of laminations of fibrous heat resistant material impregnated with a synthetic resin binder molded about the forming member to provide a central runner portion and lateral arc-shield flanges integral therewith, the binder penetrating the forming member to provide a unitary construction.

7. A unitary runner member for a trolley fixture, comprising, a forming member, a plurality of laminations of fibrous insulating material impregnated with a synthetic resin molded about the forming member to provide a central runner portion having integral arc-shield flanges, and a backing strip of fibrous material molded in association with said flanges, the synthetic resin penetrating the forming member and backing member to form an integral structure.

8. An insulating runner member for a trolley fixture, comprising the combination of, a central reinforcing member adapted to provide a forming core for a runner portion, a plurality of laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a resinous binder molded about the reinforcing member to provide an insulating runner portion having lateral flanges integral therewith, and a backing strip of fibrous material molded in engagement with said flanges and reinforcing member, the binder penetrating the reinforcing member and backing strip to unite them integrally with the flanged runner portion.

9. In a renewable insulating runner member for trolley fixtures, the combination comprising a longitudinal fibrous forming member, an insulating wearing surface comprising a plurality of laminations of fibrous heat resistant material impregnated with a binder of phenolic condensate molded about the forming member to provide a runner portion with lateral arc shield flanges integral therewith, and a backing memher of fibrous material molded in association with the forming member and are shield flanges, the binder penetrating the forming member and backing member to unite them integrally with the runner portion and arc-shield flanges.

10. A replaceable runner member for trolley fixtures comprising, a reinforcing core, a plurality of laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a binder of synthetic resin molded about said core to provide a central runner portion having integral arc-shield flanges along each side thereof, and additional laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a synthetic resin molded integrally with and in the plane of said flanges, the synthetic resin penetrating the core to unite said laminations and core in a unitary structure.

11. A unitary construction for a renewable insulating runner member for overhead trolley fixtures, comprising, the combination of, a longitudinal fibrous forming member, a longitudinal insulating wearing surface of a fibrous heat resistant material impregnated with a synthetic binder resin molded about the forming member to provide an insulating runner portion, upstanding lateral arc-shield flanges disposed to disperse an uprising electric are molded integrally with the runner portion and adapted to be positioned about the body of a trolley fixture, and a laminated backing strip impregnated with synthetic binder resin molded integrally with said arc-shield flanges and forming member, the binder resin penetrating the forming member to provide a light, strong and durable unitary structure.

12. In an insulating runner member, the combination of,'a longitudinal reinforcing member, and an integral runner member and are shield member comprising a plurality of laminations of fibrous material impregnated with a resinous binder and molded about the reinforcing memher in continuous relation to provide mutually reinforcing runner and arc shield members.

NILS A. WAHLBERG. 

